Thursday, March 28, 2024

Pope Francis travels to women's prison in Rome to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass and washing of the feet


Pope on Holy Thursday: 'The Lord never tires of forgiving'

At the Mass of the Lord's Supper at the women's section of Rebibbia prison in Rome, Pope Francis reminds us to never tire of asking the Lord for forgiveness and learning to serve as He did.

By Lisa Zengarini

Continuing his custom of celebrating the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in a prison, Pope Francis visited the female section of the Rebibbia correctional facility in Rome on Holy Thursday afternoon.

He presided over Mass and the ritual of the washing of the feet for dozens of inmates, guards, chaplains and officials gathered in an outdoor area of the prison.

In his brief off-the-cuff homily, the Pope focused on two episodes of Jesus’ Last Supper on the eve of His Passion.



The path of service

During the meal, Jesus humbled Himself to wash the feet of the disciples.

By doing so, Pope Francis explained, “He makes us understand what He meant when He said: ‘I did not come to be served, but to serve’.”

That humble gesture, said the Pope, “teaches us the path of service.”

Jesus always forgives

Pope Francis then spoke about the betrayal of Judas, motivated by greed and selfishness. Judas’ story, the Pope said, shows us that the Lord always forgives our sins, and “He only asks that we ask for forgiveness.”

Indeed, he insisted, "Jesus never tires of forgiving: we are the ones who get tired of asking for forgiveness."

“We all have our small or big failures – everyone has their own story. But the Lord always awaits us, with His arms open, and never tires of forgiving.”

Concluding Pope Francis, therefore, encouraged the faithful to ask the Lord for the grace not to tire of imploring His forgiveness, and to make us grow in the vocation to serve.

Washing of the feet of twelve inmates 

Following the homily, Pope Francis washed the feet of twelve women prisoners of different nationalities.

At the conclusion of the Mass, he met with the inmates and staff of the penitentiary and was greeted with farm products produced in the facility, along with a rainbow-colored rosary made with crochet and pearls, two stoles with the image of two welcoming hands, and a sunflower, made by the inmates working in the necklace and sewing workshops in the prison.

The Pope gave the director and staff of Rebibbia a painting of the Madonna he had received as a gift.

Pope Francis' first visit to Rebibbia prison in 2015

Pope Francis has celebrated Holy Thursday Mass at a prison, care facility, or refugee centre since becoming Pope in 2013, while his recent predecessors customarily washed the feet of priests in St. Peter's Basilica or the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.

This was his second visit to the Rebibbia complex on this occasion. He first went there in 2015, meeting male and female prisoners and washing the feet of 12 inmates and a toddler.

Pope sends an Easter letter to Catholics living in the holy land

 

The Church of the Holy Family in GazaThe Church of the Holy Family in Gaza 

Pope to Catholics in Holy Land: May hope arise from seeds sown in pain

In an Easter Letter addressed to Catholics in the Holy Land, Pope Francis expresses his spiritual closeness and paternal affection, and encourages Christians around the world to offer concrete support and prayers for peace.

By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis has written to Catholics in the Holy Land, assuring them that they are daily in his thoughts and prayers.

“I embrace all of you, in the variety of your rites, dear Catholic faithful living throughout the Holy Land,” he writes, adding, “In a particular way, I embrace those most affected by the senseless tragedy of war: the children robbed of their future, those who grieve and are in pain, and all who find themselves prey to anguish and dismay.”

In his letter, released on Wednesday, the Holy Father recognizes the special significance of Easter for those who live in the places sanctified by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Acknowledging the desire of Christians to remain in the lands they have dwelt in for centuries, Pope Francis says it is good that they should remain, and thanks them for their faith, charity, and hope.

The Pope goes on to recall his own pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2014, and repeats the words of Saint Paul VI, who warned of the “constant and dire threat” to peace and security, and to human values, of continuing tensions in the Middle East.

Pope Francis highlights the role of Christians in the Middle East in guarding the “places of our salvation,” as well as their “enduring witness, through [their] sufferings, to the mystery of the Lord’s Passion.” “By your ability to rise anew and press forward,” he writes, “you have proclaimed, and continue to proclaim, that the crucified Lord rose from the dead.”

The Pope goes on to share the prayer he offers for and with the Christians of the Holy Land:

Lord, you are our peace (cf. Eph 2:14-22). You who proclaimed blessed the peacemakers (cf. Mt 5:9): set human hearts free from hatred, violence, and the spirit of revenge. We look to Your example and we follow You, Who are merciful, meek, and humble of heart (cf. Mt 11:29).  May no one rob our hearts of the hope of rising anew with You.  May we never tire of defending the dignity of every man, woman, and child, without distinction of religion, ethnicity, or nationality, beginning with the most vulnerable among us: women, the elderly, children, and the poor.

Assuring them once again that they are not alone, the Pope promises that the universal Church will demonstrate solidarity through “prayer and practical charity.”

"Soon we hope to return among you as pilgrims, to draw near to you, to embrace you, to break with you the bread of fraternity, and to contemplate the tender shoots of hope that spring from the seeds you are sowing in pain and nurturing with patience," he says.

Then, after thanking the “bishops, priests, and religious” for their work among the people, the Holy Father prays that “in the crucible of suffering… the precious gold of unity may be purified and shine forth” among Catholics and with other Christians, to whom he expresses his “spiritual closeness and encouragement” and assuring them of his prayers.

Concluding his letter, Pope Francis invokes upon Catholics in the Holy Land the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “daughter of your Land.”

And he calls on Christians throughout the world “to manifest their concrete support for you and pray tirelessly that all the people of your beloved land may dwell at last in peace.”

You can read the full text of the Pope’s Letter to the Catholics of the Holy Land here.

Pope Francis celebrates Holy Thursday Chrism Mass for all the priests of Rome

 






Pope at Chrism Mass: Dear priests, let sorrow sanctify you

During Chrism Mass in the Vatican on Holy Thursday, Pope Francis thanks priests for heroic witness, but urges them to transform shortcomings, errors, and hardened hearts into an opportunity to draw closer to Christ and start anew.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Thank you, dear priests, for your open and docile hearts.  Thank you for all your hard work and your tears.  Thank you, because you bring the miracle of God’s mercy to our brothers and sisters in today’s world.  May the Lord console you, strengthen you and reward you."

Pope Francis gave this encouragement on Holy Thursday morning during the Chrism Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

In his homily, the Pope reflected on how St. Peter, the first Pastor of our Church, lost sight of Christ and denied him three times. In remorse, the Pope recalled, Peter's eyes were flooded with tears that, "rising up from a wounded heart, liberated him from his false notions and his self-assuranc

"Those bitter tears," Pope Francis said, "changed his life."         

"Dear brother priests, the healing of the heart of Peter, the healing of the Apostle, the healing of the pastor," the Pope said, "came about when, grief-stricken and repentant, he allowed himself to be forgiven by Jesus."  He noted that his healing took place amid tears and bitter weeping, which led to renewed love. 

This Holy Thursday of the Year of Prayer, the Pope said he wished to share, with his fellow priests, thoughts on an aspect of the spiritual life that, he said, has been somewhat neglected, yet remains essential.  "Even the word I am going to use is somewhat old-fashioned, yet well worthy of reflecting on. That word is compunction."

Compunction, a 'piercing of the heart'

The term compunction, the Pope said, involves a painful "piercing of the heart,” that evokes tears of repentance, as it did for St. Peter.

It is not, he clarified, a sense of guilt that makes us discouraged or obsessed with our unworthiness, but a beneficial “piercing” that purifies and heals the heart. 

Once we recognize our sin, the Pope said, "our hearts can be opened to the working of the Holy Spirit, the source of living water that wells up within us and brings tears to our eyes."  Those who are willing to be “unmasked” and let God’s gaze pierce their heart, he said, receive the gift of those tears, the holiest waters after those of baptism.

Yet, he insisted, we need to understand clearly what it means to weep for ourselves. 

"It does not mean weeping in self-pity, as we are so often tempted to do."  Weeping for ourselves, he clarified, "means seriously repenting for saddening God by our sins; recognizing that we always remain in God’s debt, admitting that we have strayed from the path of holiness and fidelity to the love of the One who gave His life for us." 

Repenting of our ingratitude and inconstancy

Experiencing this, the Pope said, means "looking within and repenting of our ingratitude and inconstancy," and "acknowledging with sorrow our duplicity, dishonesty and hypocrisy."  

Turning our gaze once more to the Crucified Lord, and letting ourselves be touched by His love, which always forgives and raises up, he said, "never disappoints the trust of those who hope in Him." 

Pope Francis said that the tears that well up and flow down our cheeks," descend to purify our heart," as he stressed that even if compunction demands effort, it bestows peace. 

"It is not," he said, "a source of anxiety but of healing for the soul, since it acts as a balm upon the wounds of sin, preparing us to receive the caress of the heavenly physician, who transforms the “broken, contrite heart,” once it has been softened by tears." 

Becoming like children

The masters of the spiritual life, the Holy Father recalled, insist on the importance of compunction, as he recalled that all interior renewal is born of the encounter between our human misery and God’s mercy, and develops through poverty of spirit, which allows the Holy Spirit to enrich us.  

"Brother priests," the Pope urged, "let us look to ourselves and ask ourselves what part compunction and tears play in our examination of conscience and our prayers," and especially whether, with the years that pass, our tears increase.  

He lamented that the older we become, the less we weep, saying that instead, "we are asked to become like children."

"If we fail to weep," the Holy Father warned, "we regress and grow old within," whereas "those whose prayer becomes simpler and deeper, grounded in adoration and wonder in the presence of God," he said, "grow and mature."

"They become less attached to themselves and more attached to Christ," he said.

Attachment to Christ

The Pope went on to discuss solidarity as another aspect of compunction.

"A heart that is docile, liberated by the spirit of the Beatitudes," he noted, "becomes naturally prone to practice compunction towards others.  Rather than feeling anger and scandal at the failings of our brothers and sisters, it weeps for their sins."

The Lord, the Holy Father reminded the faithful, "seeks, above all in those consecrated to Him, men and women who bewail the sins of the Church and the world, and become intercessors on behalf of all."

Heroic witnesses in the Church

"How many heroic witnesses in the Church," he marveled, "have shown us this way!"

"We think of the monks of the desert, in East and West; the constant intercession, in groaning and tears, of Saint Gregory of Narek; the Franciscan offering for unrequited Love; and those many priests who, like the Curé of Ars, lived lives of penance for the salvation of others," he remembered, saying, "This is not poetry, but priesthood!"

The Pope told the priests how the Lord desires "from us, His shepherds," not harshness but love, "and tears for those who have strayed." 

If their hearts feel compunction, he said, do not respond not with condemnation, but with perseverance and mercy. 

"How greatly,"the Pope observed, do "we need to be set free from harshness and recrimination, selfishness and ambition, rigidity and frustration, in order to entrust ourselves completely to God, and to find in Him the calm that shields us from the storms raging all around us! "

"Let us pray, intercede and shed tears for others," he urged, saying, "in this way, we will allow the Lord to work His miracles.  And let us not fear, for He will surely surprise us! "

A grace, to be sought in prayer

Compunction, he explained, is not so much our work, but a grace that, as such, must be sought in prayer. 

Turning to repentance, which he called a gift from God and the work of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Father offered two suggestions for cultivating a spirit of repentance.

"Let us stop looking at our life and our vocation in terms of efficiency and immediate results, and being caught up in present needs and expectations; instead let us view things against the greater horizon of the past and the future." 

He urged them to consider the past by "recalling God’s fidelity, being mindful of His forgiveness and firmly anchored in His love," and the future, "by looking to the eternal goal to which we are called, the ultimate purpose of our lives."  

Broadening our horizons, he said, helps to expand our hearts, spend time with the Lord and experience compunction. 

Second, the Pope called on priests to rediscover the need to cultivate prayer "that is not obligatory and functional, but freely chosen, tranquil and prolonged."

"Let us return to adoration and the prayer of the heart," he said.

'Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner'

The Pope went on to invite the priests to repeat, 'Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 

"Let us sense God’s grandeur even as we contemplate our own sinfulness, and open our hearts to the healing power of his gaze," the Pope exhorted, saying this will enable clerics to "rediscover the wisdom of Holy Mother Church in having our prayer begin in the words of the poor man who cries: God, come to my assistance!"

Returning to Saint Peter and his tears, the Pope observed, "The altar we see above his tomb makes us think of all the times that we priests – who daily say: 'Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you' – have disappointed and grieved the One who loved us so greatly as to make our hands the instruments of His presence."

"We do well, then," Pope Francis said, "to repeat those prayers we say in silence: 'With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by you, Lord,' and 'Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.'” 

Thank you, dear Priests

If one's heart is broken, the Holy Father reassured his listeners, surely Jesus can bind and heal it. 

"Thank you, dear priests," the Pope said, " for your open and docile hearts ... all your hard work and your tears," and "because you bring the miracle of God’s mercy to our brothers and sisters in today’s world." 

Pope Francis concluded by praying that the Lord console, strengthen and reward His faithful priests.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Tomorrow is Holy Thursday in the Sacred Triduum 03.28.2024

 Lent: March 28th

Holy Thursday of the Sacred Triduum


     

MASS READINGS

March 28, 2024 (Readings on USCCB website)

PROPERS [show]

COLLECT PRAYER

Holy Thursday (Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper): O God, who have called us to participate in this most sacred Supper, in which your Only Begotten Son, when about to hand himself over to death, entrusted to the Church a sacrifice new for all eternity, the banquet of his love, grant, we pray, that we may draw from so great a mystery, the fullness of charity and of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

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The last three days of Holy Week are referred to as the Easter or Sacred Triduum (Triduum Sacrum), the three-part drama of Christ's redemption: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Holy Thursday is also known as "Maundy Thursday." The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation:

Mandátum novum do vobis dicit Dóminus, ut diligátis ínvicem, sicut diléxi vos. "I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)

These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. We should imitate Christ's humility in the washing of the feet.

By meditating on the Gospels (cf. Matt 26:1 ff.; Mark 14:1 ff.; Luke 22:1 ff.; John 13:1 ff.), we can recall to mind Jesus' actions of that day. Father Bernard Strasser summarizes all the events of that first Holy Thursday:

...They included: (1) the eating of the Easter lamb or the paschal meal; (2) the washing of the disciple's feet; (3) the institution of the Most Holy Eucharist (the first Mass at which Jesus Christ, the eternal high priest, is the celebrant; the first Communion of the apostles; the first conferring of Holy Orders); (4) the foretelling of Judas' betrayal and Peter's denials; (5) the farewell discourse and priestly prayer of Jesus; (6) the agony and capture of Jesus in the Garden of Olives.
—©1947, With Christ Through the Year

In German speaking countries, Slavic nations and in Hungary this day is also known as "Green Thursday." The word is a corruption of the German word grunen (to mourn) to the German word for green (grün). Many people believe they must eat green at today's meal, which is probably derived from from the Jewish Passover meal that included bitter herbs.

Today's Station Church >>>


Chrism Mass
There are only two Masses allowed on Holy Thursday—the Chrism Mass and the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. In each diocese there is a Chrism Mass or Mass of the Holy Oils, usually said in the morning at the cathedral of the diocese. Catholics should make an effort to participate at the Mass at least once in their lives, to experience the communion of priests with their bishop. All the priests of the diocese are invited to concelebrate with the bishop. The holy oils to be used throughout the diocese for the following year in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders and the Sacrament of the Sick are blessed by the bishop at this Mass. This Mass also celebrates the institution of the priesthood.

Mass of the Lord's Supper
During the evening of Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord's Supper is celebrated. It is celebrated in the evening because the Passover began at sundown. There is only one Mass, at which the whole community and priests of the parish participate. This is a very joyful Mass, as we recall the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood. The priests wear white vestments, the altar is filled with flowers, the Gloria is sung and the bells are rung. After the Gloria, we shall not hear organ music and the bells until the Easter Vigil. The Liturgy of the Mass recalls the Passover, the Last Supper, which includes the Washing of the Feet. The hymn Ubi Caritas or Where Charity and Love Prevail is usually sung at this time.

At the Eucharist, when the Roman Canon is used (Eucharistic Prayer I), this special form of it is said, with proper formulas for the Communicantes (In communion with those), Hanc igitur (Therefore, Lord, we pray) and Qui pridie (On the day before he was to suffer):

Communicantes: Celebrating the most sacred day on which our Lord Jesus Christ was handed over for our sake, and in communion with those...

Hanc igitur: Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept this oblation of our service, that of your whole family, which we make to you as we observe the day on which our Lord Jesus Christ handed on the mysteries of his Body and Blood for his disciples to celebrate....

Qui pridie: On the day before he was to suffer for our salvation and the salvation of all, that is today....

After the Communion Prayer, there is no final blessing. The Holy Eucharist is carried in procession through Church and then transferred into a place of reposition, usually a side chapel. The hymn Pange Lingua is also usually sung at this time, with the last two verses reserved until the Blessed Sacrament is placed into the tabernacle at the Altar of Repose.

After the Mass, we recall the Agony in the Garden, and the arrest and imprisonment of Jesus. The altar is stripped bare, crosses are removed or covered. The Eucharist has been placed in an altar of repose, and most churches are open for silent adoration, to answer Christ's invitation "Could you not, then, watch one hour with me?" (Matt 26:40)


The Altar of Repose
When the Eucharist is processed to the altar of repose after the Mass of the Lord's Supper, we should remain in quiet prayer and adoration, keeping Christ company. There is a tradition, particularly in big cities with many parishes, to try and visit seven churches and their altar of repose during this evening.

Popular piety is particularly sensitive to the adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the wake of the Mass of the Lord's supper. Because of a long historical process, whose origins are not entirely clear, the place of repose has traditionally been referred to as "a holy sepulchre." The faithful go there to venerate Jesus who was placed in a tomb following the crucifixion and in which he remained for some forty hours.

It is necessary to instruct the faithful on the meaning of the reposition: it is an austere solemn conservation of the Body of Christ for the community of the faithful which takes part in the liturgy of Good Friday and for the viaticum of the infirmed. It is an invitation to silent and prolonged adoration of the wondrous sacrament instituted by Jesus on this day.

In reference to the altar of repose, therefore, the term "sepulchre" should be avoided, and its decoration should not have any suggestion of a tomb. The tabernacle on this altar should not be in the form of a tomb or funerary urn. The Blessed Sacrament should be conserved in a closed tabernacle and should not be exposed in a monstrance.

After midnight on Holy Thursday, the adoration should conclude without solemnity, since the day of the Lord's Passion has already begun.
Directory on Popular Piety


Washing of Feet and a "Last Supper" Meal
In imitation of Christ's last supper, many Christians prepare a meal reminiscent of how Christ celebrated the Last Supper. We see the lamb, cooked whole, with no bones broken, foreshadowing the death of Christ, the Lamb of God. We eat the unleavened bread and recall to mind the Eucharist. We eat the whole meal in prayerful reminder of that Last Supper that Jesus spent with His apostles, His friends, instituting Holy Orders and leaving His greatest gift, the Holy Eucharist.

A representative paschal meal can include roast lamb, bitter herbs, green herbs, haroset, matzoh and wine and perhaps include readings from the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Our Passover Feast is the Mass, in particular the whole Triduum. The US Bishops have discouraged Catholics to "baptizing" a Jewish Seder meal, and the Vatican has issued recent documents on Catholic relations with Jews. For more information see USCCB: God's Mercy Endures Forever: Guidelines on the Presentation of Jews and Judaism in Catholic Preaching and Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews.

Thursday Saint of the Day

 St. Venturino of Bergamo




Dominican preacher and missionary crusader. A native of Bergamo, Italy, he joined the Dominicans in 1319 and soon distinguished himself as a brilliant preacher, attracting huge crowds throughout northern Italy. Pleased with his ability to reach large numbers of believers, he announced in 1335 his intention to go on a pilgrimage to Rome. When Pope Benedict XII (r. 1334-1342) learned of the pilgrimage, he feared Venturino might be planning to crown himself pope, and so forbade the friar to proceed. This decree was joined by one issued by the Dominicans themselves at the Chapter in London (1335). Ignorant of these bans, Venturino proceeded to Rome and then to Avignon where he was arrested and imprisoned until 1343. He is also known for helping to organize a crusade, at the behest of Pope Clement VI (r. 1342-1352), against the Turks who were then menacing Europe.

Papal General Audience in Holy Week 03.27.2024

 




Pope at Audience: Patience offers convincing witness to Christ's love

During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis calls on the faithful to imitate Christ's patience, saying this virtue offers one of the most convincing testimonies of the Lord's love.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Even if often it is not easy, when a Christian practices the difficult virtue of patience, they bear witness to Christ's love.

Pope Francis made this point during his weekly General Audience on Wednesday of Holy Week, which was originally scheduled to be held in St. Peter's Square but was moved to the Paul VI Hall at the last minute due to rain.

Acknowledging the change in location due to the weather, the Holy Father joked, "It is true that you will be rather crowded, but at least we will not get wet. Thank you for your patience."

Cardinal virtue of patience

This week, the Pope continued his catechetical series on vices and virtues. After a number of months dedicated to the vices, he recently transitioned to discussing virtue, last week focusing on prudence, and this week, on patience.

At the root of patience, the Pope stressed, is love. Even if being patient, often, is not easy, the Holy Father reminded those before him, of how patient the Lord is with us.

Patient Christians witness Christ's love

It could be said, he observed, that "there is no better testimony of Christ's love" than meeting a patient Christian.

"But think," the Holy Father marveled, "of how many mothers and fathers, workers, doctors and nurses, the sick, who every day, in obscurity, grace the world with saintly patience!"

'Let us be honest'

"However, let us be honest," Pope Francis admitted, "we are often lacking in patience."

He acknowledged that it is part of our human nature to be impatient and respond to evil with evil. "It is difficult to stay calm, control our instincts, restrain bad responses, defuse arguments and conflicts in the family, at work, and in the Christian community."

The Pope stressed that patience is not only a "necessity," but "a calling."

"If Christ is patient, the Christian is called to be patient," he underscored, saying this requires going against the prevailing mentality today, where haste and "everything now" dominate.

"Let us not forget that haste and impatience are enemies of the spiritual life," he said, stressing, that God is love, and whoever loves, can work on learning how to wait.

Comtemplating Jesus' patient example

The Pope encouraged the faithful to remember the patience of the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son, and asked how we can cultivate our patience.

Responding that we can do so by seeking help from the Holy Spirit, the Pope said, "He gives us the gentle strength of patience."

Especially in these days, the Pope invited everyone to contemplate the Crucified Christ to learn and follow His patient example.

Pope Francis concluded by praying that this Holy Week we all work on becoming more patient, and, in doing so, more holy.